child bride,,,

In the past weeks I wrote a piece of my opinions about this very delicate issue of Child marriage and i’ve seen a lot of other amazing write ups and I’ve come to give you a piece of other people’s work. Am not stealing this as mine I just didn’t find the usual “REBLOG” button on the page and I can’t help but share this with you. I’ll post the original urls just incase.

A Word For Yerima and The Paedophiles in Power ~ Femi Fani-Kayode

“Only last week the respected islamic scholar Professor Ishaq Akintola added his voice by saying ‘’there is no age restriction in islamic marriage’’. Most muslims would disagree with this because child-marriage is specifically banned by the laws and constitutions of 90 per cent of muslim countries in the world today but I respect the right of Professor Akintiola to hold his opinion about the tenets of his faith. And regardless of his views and fervency

Paedophilia, child sex, child slavery, child rape and child marriage cannot be justified under any circumstances in any civilised country. It is not a matter of religion. It is a matter of human rights, civil liberties and basic morality. There is nothing more repugnant to the natural mind and wholesome soul than the prospect of a fully grown man mounting, defiling and having carnal knowledge of a child that is between the ages of 6 and 18.

Every child, whether she be a christian, a muslim, a pagan, an atheist or an agnostic has the right to be fully protected by the state and by the laws of our land from sexual predators, sexual deviants, statutory rapists, unrepentant perverts and child molestors. That much we ought to be able to achieve and we ought to insist on. We are meant to protect our children and not bed them.

Like I said earlier on elsewhere in this debate, even animals don’t sleep with their own infants. Some may hate me for these words today but I speak nothing but the truth and tomorrow the people will thank me for it. In the heat of this debate, Pastor Regina Fani-Kayode, made a pertinent assertion. She said ‘’knowledge comes to those who seek it’’. This is wisdom and I would suggest that our muslim brothers and sisters that share Yarima’s views on child marriage and that seek to defend those views on religious grounds like my respected sister Dr. Zainab Shinkafi-Bagudu, whose article titled ‘’Early Marriage?’’ I read with great interest, learn a little from this deep truism. Perhaps they could also learn one or two things from the following press report in a newspaper just last week which reflects the views of one of the most respected leaders and islamic scholars in Saudi Arabia. The report reads as follows-

‘’A member of Saudi Arabia’s highest religious body has said that Prophet Mohammed’s (PBUH) marriage to a nine-year-old girl does not justify marrying minor children today because circumstances have changed in the intervening 14 centuries. The comments by Sheikh Abdullah al Manie, who sits on the Council of Senior Ulema, follows other recent public criticisms of child marriage, suggesting the government may be preparing public opinion for legislation setting a minimum marriage age.

“They want to prepare the public to understand that the old days are not like today,” said Mekhlef al Shammary, a human rights advocate in Dammam. “It’s a crime to give a 12-year-old to be a mother and wife. “This is ridiculous. Even in Islam it’s not acceptable because the girl is not mature enough. She’s a child – she’s not ready for sexual relations.” The marriage of young girls, often to much older men, has been at the forefront of public debate in Saudi Arabia for a couple of years. It escalated early last year after it was reported that a man had contracted to give his eight-year-old daughter in marriage to a 47-year-old man in order to pay a financial debt. The contract was annulled after a public outcry.

Sheikh al Manie is believed to be the most senior cleric to unequivocally denounce the practice of child marriage. Prophet Mohammed’s marriage to young Aisha “cannot be equated with child marriages today because the conditions and circumstances are not the same”, he said in remarks published in the Saudi Gazette and Okaz newspapers on Thursday. “It is a grave error to burden a child with responsibilities beyond her years,” the sheikh said. “Marriage should be put off until the wife is of a mentally and physically mature age and can care for both herself and her family.”

Senator Ahmed Sani Yarima, Professor Ishaq Akintola and all those that continuosly give the impression that child marriage is acceptable in Islam and who erroneously believe that the honest criticism of such an abominable practice is an attack on their faith surely have much to learn from the contribution of this erudite Saudi Arabian leader and scholar. As a matter of fact we all do and it is contributions like that that make the rest of us appreciate what a beautiful religion islam really is when its tenets are properly understood and applied.”

Just last month when I posted something concerning this matter on my facebook page an ignorant individual commented thus “U dont reaLly understand d topic so u shldnt talk abt it him marryin her doesnt mean dey will consumate d marriage immediately, but he will take care ov her needs until she comes ov age!wat ur callin disgustin and pathetic is legal in our religion!jst dat u dnt understand”

I honestly believe that islam, like christianity, is a humane and compassionate faith which seeks to protect the weak and guide its adherents on the path of righteousness and light.

I must however point out that Nigeria is not a muslim state. And neither is she a christian state. She is a secular state and she is governed by secular laws. Religious laws have no place in our land or constitution.Our constitution is a secular document which specifically says that the state shall not adopt any religion. This must remain so if we do not want a divided country and if we do not want continued controversy, strife and possibly even a fully blown religious conflagration and conflict. We should all keep our religious sensitivities out of certain matters if we want continued peace.